Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Prisons (HMIP) publish a document titled Expectations which contains the criteria against which they inspect prisons.
The latest (fifth) edition of the criteria for the inspection of prisons in the male estate was written July 2017 and since September 2017 it has been in use by inspectors.
Reports are normally published about 5 months after the inspections have taken place.
From the HMIP web site:
‘We are publishing Expectations exclusively online and hope that this more interactive and user-friendly format will increase its utility to those working in prisons. Each expectation area is presented alongside other relevant resources, good practice examples and short summaries of the relevant human rights standards.’
In terms of outcomes for the children and families of offenders, Expectations provides an invaluable resource for all workers. It acts as a guide - setting out the standards that are expected, as well as a checklist to ensure that the required processes, activities and resources to support the families of offenders are in place.
